We had a full-on evening on Saturday when we had a few friends and family over for dinner. Sue's sister, Deb, and husband Foggy, newlyweds Terry and Alexis and neighbours Deb and Dave came over. Deb, Fog, Terry and Alexis had recently returned from Australia where Terry and Alexis were married. Alexis didn't manage to last the night and had to be carried to bed.
In the morning after we saw Terry and Alexis off, Sue and I decided to get some fresh air and went for a long walk through the nearby park. Afterwards we took the tram to the entertainment complex where we had a bite to eat and then watched (or in Sue's case slept through) the film, Team America - World Police (the film that's putting the 'F' back into freedom).
This is some crazy puppet shit. Coming from the creators of South Park it has a lot of adult (or adolescent) themes. If you are someone who is easily offended then this is not a film for you. There is total puppet nudity and full sex, extreme violence resulting in dismembered puppets and destruction of several cities, and large amounts of profanity in outrageous accents (we actually saw the subtitled version and I think it helps!).
The best bits for me were the Cairo 'cantina' scene (hey! This looks and sounds familiar - does George Lucas know?), and the Kim Jong Il's song 'I'm so ronery'.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Friday, January 14, 2005
More of wot I have read…
Pattern Recognition, by William Gibson
This is a good book but a slight departure for Gibson as it deals in the present rather than the Cyber-Punk future he is more commonly known for. Much of what is in this book is already out there, even if only at the fringes. I like a bit of conspiracy theory and this has it by the bucket load.
'It's only called paranoia if you can't prove it.
Cayce is in London to work. Her pathological sensitivity to brands makes her the perfect divining rod for an ad agency that wants to test a new logo. But when she is co-opted into a search for the creator of a strangely addictive on-line film, Cayce wonders if she has done the right - or indeed, safe - thing. And that's before violence, Japanese computer crazies and Russian Mafia men are in the mix. But she wants to discover the source of the film too, and the truth of her fathers disappearance in New York, two years ago. And from the way people are trying to stop her, it looks like she's getting close…'
This is a good book but a slight departure for Gibson as it deals in the present rather than the Cyber-Punk future he is more commonly known for. Much of what is in this book is already out there, even if only at the fringes. I like a bit of conspiracy theory and this has it by the bucket load.
'It's only called paranoia if you can't prove it.
Cayce is in London to work. Her pathological sensitivity to brands makes her the perfect divining rod for an ad agency that wants to test a new logo. But when she is co-opted into a search for the creator of a strangely addictive on-line film, Cayce wonders if she has done the right - or indeed, safe - thing. And that's before violence, Japanese computer crazies and Russian Mafia men are in the mix. But she wants to discover the source of the film too, and the truth of her fathers disappearance in New York, two years ago. And from the way people are trying to stop her, it looks like she's getting close…'
Global Dimming…
I saw a thought-provoking documentary last night on Horizon about Global Dimming. Why the sun seems to be 'dimming'.
It turns out that the rich polluting European countries may have been responsible for the horrific Ethiopian droughts of several decades ago. Unfortunately the 'cleaning' (removing particles but not removing greenhouse gasses) could actually create a far worse problem to come.
Are we actually ruining the world for OUR children?
'Scientists are now worried that dimming, by shielding the oceans from the full power of the Sun, may be disrupting the pattern of the world's rainfall.
There are suggestions that dimming was behind the droughts in sub-Saharan Africa, which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives in the 1970s and 80s.
There are disturbing hints the same thing may be happening today in Asia, home to half the world's population.
"My main concern is global dimming is also having a detrimental impact on the Asian monsoon," says Professor Veerhabhadran Ramanathan, professor of climate and atmospheric sciences at the University of California, San Diego. "We are talking about billions of people."
Even the most pessimistic forecasts of global warming may now have to be drastically revised upwards.
That means a temperature rise of 10 degrees Celsius by 2100 could be on the cards, giving the UK a climate like that of North Africa, and rendering many parts of the world uninhabitable.
That is unless we act urgently to curb our emissions of greenhouse gases.'
It turns out that the rich polluting European countries may have been responsible for the horrific Ethiopian droughts of several decades ago. Unfortunately the 'cleaning' (removing particles but not removing greenhouse gasses) could actually create a far worse problem to come.
Are we actually ruining the world for OUR children?
'Scientists are now worried that dimming, by shielding the oceans from the full power of the Sun, may be disrupting the pattern of the world's rainfall.
There are suggestions that dimming was behind the droughts in sub-Saharan Africa, which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives in the 1970s and 80s.
There are disturbing hints the same thing may be happening today in Asia, home to half the world's population.
"My main concern is global dimming is also having a detrimental impact on the Asian monsoon," says Professor Veerhabhadran Ramanathan, professor of climate and atmospheric sciences at the University of California, San Diego. "We are talking about billions of people."
Even the most pessimistic forecasts of global warming may now have to be drastically revised upwards.
That means a temperature rise of 10 degrees Celsius by 2100 could be on the cards, giving the UK a climate like that of North Africa, and rendering many parts of the world uninhabitable.
That is unless we act urgently to curb our emissions of greenhouse gases.'
Legalisation of drugs…
The BBC 'If…' series has been very good. It is an accessible introduction to some very controversial, but increasingly possible, 'what if' worst case scenarios. It combines drama and documentary to present a well-balanced view of how the world might become if certain things continue the way they appear to be heading.
This week's subject was 'If… drugs were legal' and proved to be very believable and frightening.
What do you think is the right thing to do?
This week's subject was 'If… drugs were legal' and proved to be very believable and frightening.
What do you think is the right thing to do?
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Back to work…
Well here we go again, back at the grind stone (actually the extra effort made before Christmas means I have enough time to Blog - so at least I can ease back into it slowly).
Now we start making plans for the year to come (every weekend from now until the 14th Feb is full already).
Looking forward to the holidays…
Now we start making plans for the year to come (every weekend from now until the 14th Feb is full already).
Looking forward to the holidays…
More of wot I have watched…
We went to see Lemony Snicket's - a Series of Unfortunate Events, starring Jim Carrey as the evil Count Olaf. This is a dreadfully wonderful children's movie that has plenty to keep the grown-ups entertained too.
The movie is based on a series of Lemony Snicket books that are very popular in America.
Almost an equivalent to the Harry Potter series.
We went with James and Nikala to the early afternoon showing and invited them back to ours for dinner. Sue had got a pasta maker for Christmas so we decided to try it out on friends. Once you role the sheets you are supposed to leave them to dry a little before you pass them through the cutters (unfortunately we left them to dry for a couple of hour while we went to the movies - so some of them didn't come out to well). Also the cutter has a dodge cog that keeps coming out of mesh, stopping the pasta from feeding properly. Nevertheless together we all managed to make more than enough pasta for the four of us, and we all agreed it definitely tastes better freshly made.
The movie is based on a series of Lemony Snicket books that are very popular in America.
Almost an equivalent to the Harry Potter series.
We went with James and Nikala to the early afternoon showing and invited them back to ours for dinner. Sue had got a pasta maker for Christmas so we decided to try it out on friends. Once you role the sheets you are supposed to leave them to dry a little before you pass them through the cutters (unfortunately we left them to dry for a couple of hour while we went to the movies - so some of them didn't come out to well). Also the cutter has a dodge cog that keeps coming out of mesh, stopping the pasta from feeding properly. Nevertheless together we all managed to make more than enough pasta for the four of us, and we all agreed it definitely tastes better freshly made.
Happy New Year…
We spent our New Years at home with a few friends (Deb, Dave & little Tom, and Dean & Michelle) engaging in our favourite activities of eating and drinking. Sue had made a wonderful Moroccan inspired meal starting with spiced vegetable pies, lamb filo parcels, and samosas. The main course was lamb stuffed with dried fruits and covered in harisa. Dave made a delicious Italian custard desert. We washed this down with a few wines, some with bubbles, and topped it of with something stronger from the spirit cabinet.
We saw the New Year in with kisses and hugs and phone calls but soon after we turned in, no long sessions for us.
We were slow to start the next day and we were trying to recharge our batteries with caffeine at breakfast with Dean and Michelle when we had a call inviting us up into town to meet some Kiwi friends for lunch. So we found our selves a few hours latter eating Chinese in China Town with Marc & Heather, Terry and Ross.
Sue and I returned home to rest in front of the television.
Happy New Year to you all…
We saw the New Year in with kisses and hugs and phone calls but soon after we turned in, no long sessions for us.
We were slow to start the next day and we were trying to recharge our batteries with caffeine at breakfast with Dean and Michelle when we had a call inviting us up into town to meet some Kiwi friends for lunch. So we found our selves a few hours latter eating Chinese in China Town with Marc & Heather, Terry and Ross.
Sue and I returned home to rest in front of the television.
Happy New Year to you all…
More of wot I have read…
Billy: by Pamela Stephenson
This is an interesting and entertaining book if you are a fan of Billy Connolly. It is well written and captures Billy's 'voice' well in many places. The only downfall is Pamela Stephenson's habit of name-dropping can become a bit overdone.
It gives you a feel of the difficulties Billy had to endure and overcome in his early childhood which fashioned his outlook and give rise to many of his insecurities and manias. But overall it shows that he has an uncommon view of life and the ability that borders on genius for bring that viewpoint out to an audience.
The only time I have seen him live I was made helpless from laughing so much that I couldn't move or breathe from the ache in my side.
This is an interesting and entertaining book if you are a fan of Billy Connolly. It is well written and captures Billy's 'voice' well in many places. The only downfall is Pamela Stephenson's habit of name-dropping can become a bit overdone.
It gives you a feel of the difficulties Billy had to endure and overcome in his early childhood which fashioned his outlook and give rise to many of his insecurities and manias. But overall it shows that he has an uncommon view of life and the ability that borders on genius for bring that viewpoint out to an audience.
The only time I have seen him live I was made helpless from laughing so much that I couldn't move or breathe from the ache in my side.
Friday, December 31, 2004
And once again…
We continued the festive season with a few more gatherings. We had our good friends Chris and Carole and their girls around for sausage, liver, bacon mash and bubble-and-squeak the next day and on the following day Sue and I visited old friends from a previous company we worked with for an annual walk in the park and meal out gathering.
Needless to say we were quite happy for a quieter day after that so we did a bit of shopping, watched the box and then made our way with Jamie into London. He was heading back to Hull, not that Uni’ starts yet, but he had an invite to a New Years bash and the booze is so much cheaper up north. We did manage to fit another meal in, this time Jaime’s favourite of Chinese in China Town.
We came home and collapsed in front of the television.
Next it is the New Years celebrations…
Needless to say we were quite happy for a quieter day after that so we did a bit of shopping, watched the box and then made our way with Jamie into London. He was heading back to Hull, not that Uni’ starts yet, but he had an invite to a New Years bash and the booze is so much cheaper up north. We did manage to fit another meal in, this time Jaime’s favourite of Chinese in China Town.
We came home and collapsed in front of the television.
Next it is the New Years celebrations…
A family gathering…
Jamie returned from Spain on the 27th and we had arranged for many of Sue’s family to come over to our place for another Christmas Dinner. We had a dozen family members squeezed around our table (we did the party borrowing-chairs-from-the-neighbours dash to gather enough seats).
Sue made a superb traditional spread and with the exception of the carrots (ours are a little too deformed) the veggies were all our own (we are still picking plenty of roots and winter greens even now). It was all very jolly and Sue even managed to talk to the only missing sibling, her sister, who called from Australia where she was on holiday.
Exactly what Christmas is all about; family.
Sue made a superb traditional spread and with the exception of the carrots (ours are a little too deformed) the veggies were all our own (we are still picking plenty of roots and winter greens even now). It was all very jolly and Sue even managed to talk to the only missing sibling, her sister, who called from Australia where she was on holiday.
Exactly what Christmas is all about; family.
Merry Christmas…
We often arrange to see Joyce and Terry at Christmas and they certainly know how to overindulge in style. This year Jamie was in Spain visiting his father (He hadn’t seen him since his birthday after moving to University in Hull) – we had seen him for a few hours as he travelled down on his way to catch his plane. Sue and I travelled up to my Aunt and Uncle's on Christmas Eve after I finished work, and we started as we meant to carry on; toasting the festive season with a glass or two of champagne. We had a wonderful evening eating and drinking and managed a few, semi-coherent, words with my family in New Zealand when they rang.
On Christmas day we exchanged presents and later in the morning, after breakfast, we walked along the canal to the Grand Junction Arms where we relaxed with a couple of revivers before walking back. We were accompanied on our way back by a kingfisher that skimmed the surface of the canal from branch to overhanging branch.
Having kept of the sauce, so far, I drove us down to our mutual friends Brian and Julie’s where we were having our traditional dinner with them and their two young daughters. Brian is very creative in the kitchen and enjoys making the most mouth watering meals. This year he had arranged for his butcher to stuff a boned turkey with a ham covered in stuffing.
Many hours of eating and drinking later, we staggered into the freezing winter’s night and weaved and giggled our way home.
Not having the endurance to continue at that pace (and knowing we had much more of the same to come), Sue and I left on Boxing Day to return home where we had ham, egg and chips with Sue’s mum at her place (glory be - a favourite meal of mine).
Ah yes! Loosen the belt… here we go again…
On Christmas day we exchanged presents and later in the morning, after breakfast, we walked along the canal to the Grand Junction Arms where we relaxed with a couple of revivers before walking back. We were accompanied on our way back by a kingfisher that skimmed the surface of the canal from branch to overhanging branch.
Having kept of the sauce, so far, I drove us down to our mutual friends Brian and Julie’s where we were having our traditional dinner with them and their two young daughters. Brian is very creative in the kitchen and enjoys making the most mouth watering meals. This year he had arranged for his butcher to stuff a boned turkey with a ham covered in stuffing.
Many hours of eating and drinking later, we staggered into the freezing winter’s night and weaved and giggled our way home.
Not having the endurance to continue at that pace (and knowing we had much more of the same to come), Sue and I left on Boxing Day to return home where we had ham, egg and chips with Sue’s mum at her place (glory be - a favourite meal of mine).
Ah yes! Loosen the belt… here we go again…
Tin and Aluminium…
Apparently the 10th wedding anniversary is either tin or aluminium and for us it was on the 23rd of December. I was at work that day so we had arranged to spend the evening at a posh hotel is East Sussex.
Sue came with me in the morning and spent the day in Crawley battling with the last minute Christmas shoppers until she could face it no more and took shelter in a coffee shop. I managed to get away from work at three as I had worked late the day before and my boss couldn’t refuse once he knew of our arrangements. So I picked Sue up from town and we drove off into the countryside to the wonderful Alexander House Hotel.
Set in its own private gardens this secluded hotel was once a grand estate with family connections to Bysshe and Shelly. Later additions were made by William Campbell, a Governor of the Bank of England. The place is currently undergoing further extensions to include Spa facilities.
While we were checking we were asked if we were there for the Christmas Party and we told them that we were there for our 10th wedding anniversary. The man at the desk asked if we had requested this particular room specially and when we said we hadn’t (we just asked for a standard room), he pick up another key and escorted through the lovely Georgian hall and up the grand stairs to a door that he opened, and said with a smile “I hope you like this room. If you have a problem with it I am sure we can change it for you…” We looked into the master bedroom with its canopied bed and managed to squeak “Oh! It’s fine, thank you” We had been upgraded to a Luxury Feature Suite which consisted of a fabulous bedroom, a drawing room, a large bathroom with a claw-footed free-standing bath and a dressing room with chaise lounge and his and hers sinks. As we collected our bags from the car our bottle of chilled champagne followed. We had a wonderful few hours relaxing in the luxury and slowly preparing for the evening meal.
When we came down we found the bar full of the Christmas Party guests so we were shown to a sumptuous leather suite in front of a log fire where our drinks were brought to us along with canapés of quails eggs topped with caviar and slivers of duck breast on hand made biscuits (this is the way to live). We listened to the birds singing in the large Victorian birdcage while we chose our meal and wine and then we were escorted through to the dinning room. We were given another little entrée, this time a slice of beef Wellington in gravy, before our food was served. Sue had Ravioli of Lobster and Crab, Celeriac Puree and Armagnac Sauce to start, followed by Roasted Wild Sea Bass and Hand Dived Scallop, Pomme Fondant, Asian Greens and Artichoke Sauce, and finished with Selection of Home County and Continental Cheeses, with Chutney. I had Warm Goats Cheese, Mediterranean Vegetable Fondue and Wild Rocket and Pistachio Pesto to start, followed by medallions of monkfish and finished with raspberry cheesecake. We had our coffees and petit-fours in the library.
The next day I dropped Sue off at the train station so that she could go home as I had to back into work for a few hours. That evening we packed up our pressies and headed of to Joyce and Terry’s for the start of our Christmas.
Sue came with me in the morning and spent the day in Crawley battling with the last minute Christmas shoppers until she could face it no more and took shelter in a coffee shop. I managed to get away from work at three as I had worked late the day before and my boss couldn’t refuse once he knew of our arrangements. So I picked Sue up from town and we drove off into the countryside to the wonderful Alexander House Hotel.
Set in its own private gardens this secluded hotel was once a grand estate with family connections to Bysshe and Shelly. Later additions were made by William Campbell, a Governor of the Bank of England. The place is currently undergoing further extensions to include Spa facilities.
While we were checking we were asked if we were there for the Christmas Party and we told them that we were there for our 10th wedding anniversary. The man at the desk asked if we had requested this particular room specially and when we said we hadn’t (we just asked for a standard room), he pick up another key and escorted through the lovely Georgian hall and up the grand stairs to a door that he opened, and said with a smile “I hope you like this room. If you have a problem with it I am sure we can change it for you…” We looked into the master bedroom with its canopied bed and managed to squeak “Oh! It’s fine, thank you” We had been upgraded to a Luxury Feature Suite which consisted of a fabulous bedroom, a drawing room, a large bathroom with a claw-footed free-standing bath and a dressing room with chaise lounge and his and hers sinks. As we collected our bags from the car our bottle of chilled champagne followed. We had a wonderful few hours relaxing in the luxury and slowly preparing for the evening meal.
When we came down we found the bar full of the Christmas Party guests so we were shown to a sumptuous leather suite in front of a log fire where our drinks were brought to us along with canapés of quails eggs topped with caviar and slivers of duck breast on hand made biscuits (this is the way to live). We listened to the birds singing in the large Victorian birdcage while we chose our meal and wine and then we were escorted through to the dinning room. We were given another little entrée, this time a slice of beef Wellington in gravy, before our food was served. Sue had Ravioli of Lobster and Crab, Celeriac Puree and Armagnac Sauce to start, followed by Roasted Wild Sea Bass and Hand Dived Scallop, Pomme Fondant, Asian Greens and Artichoke Sauce, and finished with Selection of Home County and Continental Cheeses, with Chutney. I had Warm Goats Cheese, Mediterranean Vegetable Fondue and Wild Rocket and Pistachio Pesto to start, followed by medallions of monkfish and finished with raspberry cheesecake. We had our coffees and petit-fours in the library.
The next day I dropped Sue off at the train station so that she could go home as I had to back into work for a few hours. That evening we packed up our pressies and headed of to Joyce and Terry’s for the start of our Christmas.
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Middle of winter…
It is the Winter Solstice today, which means it will probably start getting dark not long after lunchtime.
On the other hand it does mean it's downhill towards summer from now on.
On the other hand it does mean it's downhill towards summer from now on.
The best way to see a film…
Last night we went to see the Polar Express at the IMAX theatre at Waterloo.
The overwhelming consensus of our party (Chris, Carole and their three girls and Sue and me) was that this was the best way to see this film.
The Polar Express 3D has been designed just for this type of experience and it feels as if you are in some sort of theme park ride.
The only down side was having to wear uncomfortable 3D glasses (over my normal pair). This made the whole audience look like they were part of some bizarre Timmy Mallet convention.
The movie is supposed to be very good as it is, but if you have a choice go for 3D.
The overwhelming consensus of our party (Chris, Carole and their three girls and Sue and me) was that this was the best way to see this film.
The Polar Express 3D has been designed just for this type of experience and it feels as if you are in some sort of theme park ride.
The only down side was having to wear uncomfortable 3D glasses (over my normal pair). This made the whole audience look like they were part of some bizarre Timmy Mallet convention.
The movie is supposed to be very good as it is, but if you have a choice go for 3D.
Thursday, December 16, 2004
A busy time of year…
It is becoming like a military operation organising our selves at this time of year. We have almost every day planned - visiting family and friends, Christmas shopping, decorating Jamie's room, taking the cat to the vets…
We saw Jamie for a few hours last night and again this morning as he passed by on his way to Spain for Christmas. He has just finished his first lot of exams, which he was positive about (he is still finding Maths a challenge). We are in the process of fixing his room up and have just finished painting (just some touching up to do) and hanging new curtains. We still have the carpet fitters coming in the beginning of next year. Then we can move some more furniture in.
I find shopping a struggle at the best of times and I do not like large crowds, so at Christmas it can become even worse. There is so much 'junk' out there that it is difficult to find anything special in amongst it all.
We saw Jamie for a few hours last night and again this morning as he passed by on his way to Spain for Christmas. He has just finished his first lot of exams, which he was positive about (he is still finding Maths a challenge). We are in the process of fixing his room up and have just finished painting (just some touching up to do) and hanging new curtains. We still have the carpet fitters coming in the beginning of next year. Then we can move some more furniture in.
I find shopping a struggle at the best of times and I do not like large crowds, so at Christmas it can become even worse. There is so much 'junk' out there that it is difficult to find anything special in amongst it all.
Monday, December 13, 2004
Soon be Christmas...
On Friday we visited Dean and Michelle for dinner with Marc and Heather. We had a lovely meal of roast lamb and veggies with gravy and mint sauce, followed with by a choice (both is a choice!) of puddings with brandy butter and custard. It was all washed down by a couple of fine wines and helped along with some sparkling conversation (after a few wines it all seems sparkling). It was late when we left and we only just made the last train out of London (which was full to the gunwales with merry office workers and tired shoppers). Still it was fun.
Saturday and Sunday we spent most of our time redecorating Jamie's old room. A builder friend patched up the walls earlier in the week. Sue painted the woodwork while I went to the allotment for veggies for our Sunday dinner. Due to my natural height advantage (?) I painted the ceiling down to the picture rail.
On Sunday I put up the lining paper while Sue cleaned the rest of the house and put up the Christmas decorations. The walls will be painted during the week and then we can arrange for the carpet to be fitted (probably in the New Year). Later on our neighbours, Deb (of the broken leg), Dave and young Tom all came over for drinks and nibbles. Tom has way too much energy for his own good, but being cute he gets away with almost everything.
We are almost ready for Christmas, having bought most of the pressies, wrapped and posted some, written and posted most of our cards, and have almost filled our calendar with social events.
Saturday and Sunday we spent most of our time redecorating Jamie's old room. A builder friend patched up the walls earlier in the week. Sue painted the woodwork while I went to the allotment for veggies for our Sunday dinner. Due to my natural height advantage (?) I painted the ceiling down to the picture rail.
On Sunday I put up the lining paper while Sue cleaned the rest of the house and put up the Christmas decorations. The walls will be painted during the week and then we can arrange for the carpet to be fitted (probably in the New Year). Later on our neighbours, Deb (of the broken leg), Dave and young Tom all came over for drinks and nibbles. Tom has way too much energy for his own good, but being cute he gets away with almost everything.
We are almost ready for Christmas, having bought most of the pressies, wrapped and posted some, written and posted most of our cards, and have almost filled our calendar with social events.
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
More of wot I have read…
Kiwis Might Fly: Around New Zealand On Two Big Wheels, by Polly Evans
This is not a great book, but it is mildly diverting, which was the reason I bought it when I saw it in the airport recently. Something light to read on a subject I know something about. Nothing new in this book for Kiwi's and no great insights for non-Kiwi's either.
'When Polly Evans read a survey claiming that the last bastion of masculinity, the real Kiwi bloke, was about to breathe his last, she was seized by a sense of foreboding. Abandoning the London winter she took off on a motorbike for the windswept beaches and golden plains of New Zealand, hoping to root out some examples of this endangered species for posterity. But her challenges didn’t stop at the men.
Just weeks after passing her bike test, Polly rode from Auckland’s glitzy Viaduct Basin to the vineyards of Hawkes Bay and on to the Southern Alps. She found wild kiwis in the dead of night, kayaked among dolphins at dawn, and spent an evening on a remote hillside with a sheep-shearing gang. As she travelled, Polly reflected on the Maori warriors who carved their enemies’ bones into cutlery, the pioneer family who lived in a tree, and the flamboyant gold miners who lit their pipes with five-pound notes, and wondered how their descendents could have become pathologically obsessed with helpfulness and Coronation Street.
The author of the highly acclaimed It’s Not About the Tapas reaches some unexpected conclusions about the new New Zealand man – and finds that evolution has taken an unlikely twist.'
I know Terry Pratchett is one of those authors that can inspire total fanatic support or hatred, but I just like his books. I like the style of writing, his humour and sensitivities. They are a rollicking good read and the Monstrous Regiment is no exception.
'War has come to Discworld…again.
And, to no one's great surprise, the conflict centres around the small, insufferably arrogant, strictly fundamentalist duchy of Borogravia, which has long prided itself on its ability to beat up on its neighbours. This time, however, it's Borogravia that's getting its long-overdue comeuppance, which has left the country severely drained of young men.
Ever since her brother Paul marched off to battle a year ago, Polly Perks has been running The Duchess, her family's inn -- even though the revered national deity, Nuggan, has decreed that female ownership of a business is an Abomination. To keep The Duchess in the family, Polly must find her missing sibling. So she cuts off her hair, dons masculine garb, and sets out to join him in this man's army.
Polly is afraid that someone will see through her disguise; a fear that proves groundless when the legendary Sergeant Jackrum accepts her without question. Or perhaps the sergeant is too desperate to discriminate -- which would explain why a vampire, a troll, a zombie, a religious fanatic, and two uncommonly close "friends" are also eagerly welcomed into the fighting fold. Soon, Polly finds herself wondering about the myriad peculiarities of her new brothers-in-arms. It would appear that Polly "Ozzer" Perks is not the only grunt with a secret.'
This is not a great book, but it is mildly diverting, which was the reason I bought it when I saw it in the airport recently. Something light to read on a subject I know something about. Nothing new in this book for Kiwi's and no great insights for non-Kiwi's either.
'When Polly Evans read a survey claiming that the last bastion of masculinity, the real Kiwi bloke, was about to breathe his last, she was seized by a sense of foreboding. Abandoning the London winter she took off on a motorbike for the windswept beaches and golden plains of New Zealand, hoping to root out some examples of this endangered species for posterity. But her challenges didn’t stop at the men.
Just weeks after passing her bike test, Polly rode from Auckland’s glitzy Viaduct Basin to the vineyards of Hawkes Bay and on to the Southern Alps. She found wild kiwis in the dead of night, kayaked among dolphins at dawn, and spent an evening on a remote hillside with a sheep-shearing gang. As she travelled, Polly reflected on the Maori warriors who carved their enemies’ bones into cutlery, the pioneer family who lived in a tree, and the flamboyant gold miners who lit their pipes with five-pound notes, and wondered how their descendents could have become pathologically obsessed with helpfulness and Coronation Street.
The author of the highly acclaimed It’s Not About the Tapas reaches some unexpected conclusions about the new New Zealand man – and finds that evolution has taken an unlikely twist.'
Monstrous Regiment, by Terry Pratchett
I know Terry Pratchett is one of those authors that can inspire total fanatic support or hatred, but I just like his books. I like the style of writing, his humour and sensitivities. They are a rollicking good read and the Monstrous Regiment is no exception.
'War has come to Discworld…again.
And, to no one's great surprise, the conflict centres around the small, insufferably arrogant, strictly fundamentalist duchy of Borogravia, which has long prided itself on its ability to beat up on its neighbours. This time, however, it's Borogravia that's getting its long-overdue comeuppance, which has left the country severely drained of young men.
Ever since her brother Paul marched off to battle a year ago, Polly Perks has been running The Duchess, her family's inn -- even though the revered national deity, Nuggan, has decreed that female ownership of a business is an Abomination. To keep The Duchess in the family, Polly must find her missing sibling. So she cuts off her hair, dons masculine garb, and sets out to join him in this man's army.
Polly is afraid that someone will see through her disguise; a fear that proves groundless when the legendary Sergeant Jackrum accepts her without question. Or perhaps the sergeant is too desperate to discriminate -- which would explain why a vampire, a troll, a zombie, a religious fanatic, and two uncommonly close "friends" are also eagerly welcomed into the fighting fold. Soon, Polly finds herself wondering about the myriad peculiarities of her new brothers-in-arms. It would appear that Polly "Ozzer" Perks is not the only grunt with a secret.'
Birthday treats…
On the Sunday we returned into London this time to meet Joyce and Terry at the Victoria & Albert
It was Joyce's birthday, so we had a bit of culture (not too much - you can overdo those sort of things) and then we went and found a nice Italian restaurant near South Kensington where we could indulge our mutual passion for food and wine. We did revisit the museum later for a while to walk off some of the excesses before bidding each other farewell arranging to meet again at Christmas for more overindulgence.
It was Joyce's birthday, so we had a bit of culture (not too much - you can overdo those sort of things) and then we went and found a nice Italian restaurant near South Kensington where we could indulge our mutual passion for food and wine. We did revisit the museum later for a while to walk off some of the excesses before bidding each other farewell arranging to meet again at Christmas for more overindulgence.
Gig guide…
On Monday evening Sue and I went out to a 'gig' in North London. We went to see the Willard Grant Conspiracy play at the Garage in Highbury. The concert was opened by Rachel Goswell who is new to me but definitely has a lovely voice. I bought her CD at the gig, her first solo album since leaving the Mojave 3.
WGC came on later and played some old and new songs from their extensive back catalogue. Unfortunately they had too much amplification (you could feel your chest vibrate with the base). It really didn't suit their style of music. The venue also was too smoky, noisy and uncomfortable for us so this along with Sue's jet lag made us decide to leave before the end. We are just getting too old for going out on a 'school night'...
On Saturday we went out to a very different concert, this time at the Barbican. Before hand we went to Warterloo and the IMAX theatre to buy tickets for the new 3D film Polar Express. We are going to go with Chris, Carol and their three girls. It is supposed to be absolutely magical, even better in 3D.
After buying the tickets we wandered along the south bank of the Thames past the Millennium Wheel and to the Marriott for a glass of wine whilst sitting and watching Big Ben. Everything about London in winter at night is bright and sparkly and very picturesque.
Before the concert we went looking for a different place to eat, and we found it in a tiny vegetarian-Mediterranean restaurant towards Old Street. I think I am surprising myself, as it wasn't bad.
We went to see one of our favourite bands, Lambchop, play accompaniment to a silent movie, Sunrise - A Song of two Humans. The band came on and sat facing the screen in front of the audience. They had an eight-piece band, which is a small part of the overall loose collective that they can draw upon. The film was absolutely wonderful, both modern and archaic at the same time. Stunningly filmed in a stylish and uncomplicated way that shows how the skill of the director Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau overcame the limitations of the technology in 1927.
The music of Lambchop initially seemed out of place with and old film, but soon you realised that it actually complemented the way the film was not about a particular place or time, but about the people involved. Much of the music written for this film became the basis for their double album AWCMONNOYOUCMON.
This was more our kind of scene...
WGC came on later and played some old and new songs from their extensive back catalogue. Unfortunately they had too much amplification (you could feel your chest vibrate with the base). It really didn't suit their style of music. The venue also was too smoky, noisy and uncomfortable for us so this along with Sue's jet lag made us decide to leave before the end. We are just getting too old for going out on a 'school night'...
On Saturday we went out to a very different concert, this time at the Barbican. Before hand we went to Warterloo and the IMAX theatre to buy tickets for the new 3D film Polar Express. We are going to go with Chris, Carol and their three girls. It is supposed to be absolutely magical, even better in 3D.
After buying the tickets we wandered along the south bank of the Thames past the Millennium Wheel and to the Marriott for a glass of wine whilst sitting and watching Big Ben. Everything about London in winter at night is bright and sparkly and very picturesque.
Before the concert we went looking for a different place to eat, and we found it in a tiny vegetarian-Mediterranean restaurant towards Old Street. I think I am surprising myself, as it wasn't bad.
We went to see one of our favourite bands, Lambchop, play accompaniment to a silent movie, Sunrise - A Song of two Humans. The band came on and sat facing the screen in front of the audience. They had an eight-piece band, which is a small part of the overall loose collective that they can draw upon. The film was absolutely wonderful, both modern and archaic at the same time. Stunningly filmed in a stylish and uncomplicated way that shows how the skill of the director Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau overcame the limitations of the technology in 1927.
The music of Lambchop initially seemed out of place with and old film, but soon you realised that it actually complemented the way the film was not about a particular place or time, but about the people involved. Much of the music written for this film became the basis for their double album AWCMONNOYOUCMON.
This was more our kind of scene...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)